The Triumphal Entry
Triumphal Entry of The King
Mark 11:1-11
The Triumphal Entry
11 As they *approached Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, He *sent two of His disciples, 2 and *said to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, on which no one yet has ever sat; untie it and bring it here. 3 If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ you say, ‘The Lord has need of it’; and immediately he will send it back here.” 4 They went away and found a colt tied at the door, outside in the street; and they *untied it. 5 Some of the bystanders were saying to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” 6 They spoke to them just as Jesus had told them, and they gave them permission. 7 They *brought the colt to Jesus and put their coats on it; and He sat on it. 8 And many spread their coats in the road, and others spread leafy branches which they had cut from the fields. 9 Those who went in front and those who followed were shouting:
“Hosanna!
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord;
10 Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David;
Hosanna in the highest!”
11 Jesus entered Jerusalem and came into the temple; and after looking around at everything, He left for Bethany with the twelve, since it was already late.
“Mark’s Immediate Narrative Setting – Bible Hub
“Mark has moved rapidly through nearly three years of ministry in Galilee and the Trans-Jordan from the first chapter until now. And verse 11:1 is the hinge in opening the door from Jesus’ ministry to the His final week. From this verse forward, or roughly one-third of this book of scripture, Mark concentrates on the last seven days of Jesus’s life, underscoring of what we call, Passion Week. “
Messianic Self-Disclosure – Bible Hub
“Throughout the book of Mark, Jesus silenced messianic proclamations (1:25, 5:43, 8:30 – remember He always told the demons to be quiet as to His true identity). Now Jesus orchestrates a public demonstration. By moving toward Jerusalem, He shifts from the “Messianic Secret” to an unmistakable claim: He is God’s Messiah, King, and High Priest.
Prior to expositing our text this morning, lets reflect on who Mark identifies Jesus as:
1. Jesus is The Messiah as proclaimed by John the Baptist in:
Mark 1:7-8
And he (John the Baptist) was preaching, and saying, “After me One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to stoop down and untie the thong of His sandals. I baptized you with water; but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
Blue Bible: (is-khoo-ros' - One who has strength of soul to sustain the attacks of Satan, strong and therefore exhibiting many excellences)
Bible Hub: Describes spiritual might to overcome the enemy in spiritual battles
2. Jesus is the Son of God verbally announced by God the Father in:
Mark 1:9-11
The Baptism of Jesus
In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. Immediately coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens opening, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him; and a voice came out of the heavens: “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.”
3. Jesus is The King! And our King’s successful conquest, as so fluently spoken by Pastor Rory included as Our King:
a. Defeats Satan: is-khoo-ros'
Mark 1:13a
And He was in the wilderness forty days being tempted by Satan…
Satan has no Power over Jesus, on the contrary, Jesus demonstrates His Righteousness and then binds Satan, the evil strongman of this world, as Jesus is is-khoo-ros':
Mark 3:27
27 …(Jesus) first binds the strong man, and then house.
And then Jesus Our King storms and conquers Satan’s territory as He:
b. Releases the captives: Even Men who were possessed with a legion of demons as Mark describes in Chapter 5:
Mark 5:1-20
The Gerasene Demoniac
Seeing Jesus from a distance, he ran up and bowed down before Him; and shouting with a loud voice, he *said, “What business do we have with each other, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?” I implore You by God, do not torment me!” 8 For He had been saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” 9 And He was asking him, “What is your name?” And he *said to Him, “My name is Legion; for we are many.”
Demonic hordes were no match for our King.
4. Mark clearly establishes Jesus as being both fully God and fully Man, while highlighting Jesus’ compassion to the masses through His unlimited and overwhelming healing in:
Mark 3:10
…for He had healed many, with the result that all those (hos'-os = everyone and whoever) who had afflictions pressed around Him in order to touch Him.
And as John 21:25 confirms this was unprecedented, unparalleled, and extraordinary healing.
John 21:25
25 (that) there (were) so many other things which Jesus did, which if they *were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself *would not contain the books that *would be written
Yes, the healing was amazing even described by:
Luke 7:22
22 … the blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have the gospel preached to them.
5. And the healings and miracles were a display of proof and power that Jesus is our Salvation! Jesus primary goal was to preach the Gospel – The Way to Salvation:
Mark 1:14-15
Jesus Preaches in Galilee
…Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
A call of repentance to those who were poor in spirit and keenly aware of their unrighteousness:
Mark 2:17
And hearing this, Jesus *said to them, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
6. Christ is Truth and He proclaims Truth to His Own as not all who heard the message from the Messiah understood.
Mark 4:10-12
As soon as He was alone, His followers, along with the twelve, began asking Him about the parables. And He was saying to them, “To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but those who are outside get everything in parables, so that while seeing, they may see and not perceive, and while hearing, they may hear and not understand, otherwise they might return and be forgiven.”
7. And, at the very near the end of His life, Jesus openly admits to the enemies of the Gospel that He is the Messiah and The Son of God:
Mark 14:61-62
…Again, the high priest was questioning Him, and saying to Him, “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?” And Jesus said, “I am; and you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power and coming with the clouds of heaven.”
8. And lastly, Jesus is our Passover lamb, as stated in:
1 Corinthians 5:7b
7b… For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed.
And it is the Passover event that our text describes some of the events leading up Jesus’ sacrificial atonement on the Cross. Yet, Jesus knowingly and actively pursuing His appointment with the Cross, calmly and authoritatively teaches the disciples in Chapter 11 of Mark the importance of what we call, The Lord’s Supper, which Christ teaches the Passover supper’s true meaning and symbolism. In other words, “Jesus foreshadows His sacrifice, as He identifies Himself as the final Passover lamb:” Bible Hub
Mark 14:22-24
The Lord’s Supper
22 While they were eating, He took some bread, and after a blessing He broke it, and gave it to them, and said, “Take it; this is My body.” 23 And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. 24 And He said to them, “This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.
The Jewish Passover always symbolized Christ’s perfect life and complete work of the cross, which included atonement and forgiveness of our sins, the undeserved imputation of righteousness, and reconciliation to God the Father.
I. A SPECIFIC MOUNT (Mark 11:1a)
Let’s begin our text this morning by looking at the first part of:
Mark 11:1a
The Triumphal Entry
11 As they *approached Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives,
In your bible verse 11:1 may be preceded by the words, “The Triumphal Entry”, and it certainly was, “but more accurately it was Jesus’ coronation as the true King. The importance of this event is indicted by the fact that this is only the second time all four gospels include this event.” – John MacArther study notes
The word “approached” in the Greek is eng-id'-zo, which means draw near, Blue Letter Bible, but in the context of scripture “the verb ‘approached’ pictures a purposeful ascent toward Zion at the beginning of Passover week, anticipating millions of pilgrims pressing into cramped streets. Used with permission from TheBibleSays.com.
You can access the original article here.
Therefore, “Jesus’ approach to Jerusalem is an intentional march to the cross, not a detour. View this as the starting pistol of Jesus final sprint to Calvary This is a public unveiling of the prophesied King. Chapter 11 is a theological hinge of Mark’s Scripture, and an evidential cornerstone of our Faith that Salvation is only possible through the person and work of Jesus Christ! – Extrapolated from Bible Hub
As the Scriptures testify, “He (Jesus) must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things” (Matthew 16:21).
And this is exactly what Mark depicts in his Gospel account that “Jesus is the suffering Servant of Yahweh:” John MacArther commentary on Mark
And Jesus plainly spoke of His Devine Appointment:
Mark 10:45
45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
Back to our text in Mark
II. A PROPHETIC MOUNT (Mark 11:1b)
The Triumphal Entry
11 As they *approached Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, He *sent two of His disciples, 2 and *said to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, on which no one yet has ever sat; untie it and bring it here.
Let’s build some background on this area on the Mount of Olives. The scripture names these small farming villages East of Jerusalem on the Mount of Olives. And Bethany is the town that Jesus mounts his colt to descend to Jerusalem.
“Bethany, a village, 1 ½ mile from Jerusalem (John 11:18), on the road to Jericho, at the Mount of Olives (Mark 11:1 Luke 19:29). This is where "Simon the leper" lived (Mark 14:3) and Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. This village may justifiably be called the Judean home of Jesus, as He appears to have preferred to lodge there rather than in Jerusalem itself (Matthew 21:17 Mark 11:11). Of course, here occurred the incident of the raising of Lazarus from the dead (John 11) and the feast at the house of Simon the Leper (Matthew 26:1-13 Mark 14:3-9 Luke 7:36-50 John 1:2:1-8). As well as Jesus’ Ascension into Heaven as recorded in:
Luke 24:50-51
"He led them out until they were over against Bethany: and he lifted up His hands and blessed them. And it came to pass, while He blessed them, He parted from them and was carried up into Heaven."
Jesus often picked obscure towns, such as Nazareth and Bethlehem. Bethany means “House of Misery/Poor”) and the closest town “Bethphage” (“House of Unripe Figs”) or were tiny farming villages whose orchards clung to the slope of the Mount of Olives. To give you the right perspective, The Mount of Olives itself rises to about 2,700 elevation, granting an arresting view across the Kidron Valley to the Temple Mount.” – Bible Hub
The Kidron Valley has a rich Religious and Symbolic Meaning in Jewish history as it is “associated with mourning, judgement, and divine justice”, such as the case of our text. Jesus was to embark on taking God’s wrath, judgement, and divine justice, on the cross on our behalf. Other times of Biblical Significance of this valley:
It is this scene that I wanted you to get a picture of in your mind’s eye.
Jesus, The Son of God, is looking down the mountain down into the valley of judgement towards Jerusalem to the Temple Mount. Does this scene seem familiar to you?
Well, 600 years prior in Ezekial, God in His Judgement against Israel, lifted and stood above the cherubim in the Temple, went through the East gate and resided on The Mount of Olives.
Ezekiel 10:18-22
18 Then the glory of the Lord departed from the threshold of the temple and stood over the cherubim. 19 When the cherubim departed, they lifted their wings and rose up from the earth in my sight with the wheels beside them; and they stood still at the entrance of the east gate of the Lord’s house, and the glory of the God of Israel hovered over them.
20 These are the living beings that I saw beneath the God of Israel by the river Chebar; so, I knew that they were cherubim. 21 Each one had four faces and each one four wings, and beneath their wings was the form of human hands. 22 As for the likeness of their faces, they were the same faces whose appearance I had seen by the river Chebar. Each one went straight ahead.
And this event continues in:
Ezekiel 11:23
23 The glory of the Lord went up from the midst of the city and stood over the mountain which is east of the city. – This mountain is the Mount of Olives.
God in His anger and in judgement left the temple due to Israel’s idolatry, hypocrisy, and disobedience and moved to the Mount of Olives. In Essence, Israel there is judgement (valley of Kidron) between you and I! Now, Jesus, The Son of God, stood on the same Mountain, and as The Son of Man He committed in obedience to take upon Himself the Wrath of God through death on a Cross to Reconcile His Elect to God. Jesus willingly and obediently took our sin, iniquity, and wickedness upon Himself. Romans describes our rebellion:
Romans 1:18-25
God’s Wrath Against Sinful Humanity
18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.
24 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25 They exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.
Yet, in God’s Mercy He sent His Son, Jesus, to be our Salvation:
Romans 3:21-26
Righteousness Through Faith
21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26 he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:9
9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
III. A BORROWED MOUNT (Mark 11:1-11)
Now, in your text in Chapter 11 you may have noticed some words with an asterisk, let’s read:
11 As they *approached Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, He *sent two of His disciples, 2 and *said to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, on which no one yet has ever sat; untie it and bring it here.
These words emphasize Jesus’ is Mission Focused:
1. Jesus Purposely Approaches His Destiny
2. Jesus Commands His Disciples to Prepare
“Jesus commands a covert errand. These disciples’ obedience, spring-loaded by faith, anticipates the colt’s owner yielding to the King.” – The Bible Says on Mark 11:1-10
What is stunning about, Jesus, The All-Powerful Son of God, who demonstrates remarkable supernatural power throughout scripture, has no personal property other than the clothes on His back. He borrows everything including this colt as Matthew Henry states:
“Christ went upon the water in a borrowed boat, ate the Passover in a borrowed upper room, was buried in a borrowed tomb, and here rode on a borrowed colt – Blue Letter Bible.
3. Jesus Sovereignly Equips those He sends to accomplish His Mission
“The King continues to specify the mission with startling clarity: and said to them,
“Go into the village opposite you (Bethphage), and immediately as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, on which no one yet has ever sat; untie it and bring it here.” (v.2).
“In His omniscient foreknowledge-every colt’s rein, every street corner-radiates divine authority. “ – The Bible Says Mark 11:1-10
Jesus specifies that He wants “a colt … on which no one yet has ever sat.” This directly refers to Old Testament law; where animals reserved for sacred duty must remain unyoked. Like the Ark-bearing oxen in 1 Samuel.
1 Samuel 6:7
7 Now therefore, take and prepare a new cart and two milch cows on which there has never been a yoke; and hitch the cows to the cart and take their calves home, away from them.
Now just a little background on the History of a donkey: - NIV archaeological Study Bible pg. 1596
1. “The Donkey was a traditional mount for kings and rulers in the ancient East”
2. “Furthermore, the very essence of Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey near The Passover celebration invoked Messianic expectations:
Zechariah 9:9
The Coming of Zion’s King
9 Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!
Shout, Daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you,
righteous and victorious,
lowly and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
3. And by riding on a foal of a donkey our King proclaims – Peace!:
Zechariah 9:10
10 I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim
And the horse from Jerusalem;
And the bow of war will be cut off.
And He will speak peace to the nations;
And His dominion will be from sea to sea,
And from the River to the ends of the earth.
Again, this unblemished colt’s calling to be the vehicle of choice for a Holy Savior is emphasized in:
Numbers 19:2-3
2 “This is the statute of the law which the Lord has commanded, saying, ‘Speak to the sons of Israel that they bring you an unblemished red heifer in which is no defect and on which a yoke has never been placed. 3 You shall give it to Eleazar the priest, and it shall be brought outside the camp and be slaughtered in his presence.
A Holy and Unblemished Son of Man sitting on an unyoked donkey.
However, Numbers stated that the Holy and Unblemished shall be brought outside the camp to be slaughtered!
According to historical and traditional Christian sources, when Jesus was led to be
crucified, he exited Jerusalem through the Sheep Gate, which is also identified in
later traditions as the Lion’s Gate or St. Stephen’s Gate. This gate is located
northeast of the Temple Mount and was the closest city gate to the Roman
Praetorium (Antonia Fortress) and the route leading to Golgotha, the site of
crucifixion.
The Sheep Gate historically functioned as the entry point for sacrificial lambs into
the city, and biblical references (John 19:17; Matthew 27:32) highlight that Jesus
carried his cross out of the city toward the "Place of the Skull" (Golgotha) through
this gate.
Heb 13:11-13 clarifies in Numbers 19:2-3 of the meaning of “outside the camp” as it relates to Christ’s death outside Jerusalem.
Hebrews 13:11-13
11 For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy place by the high priest as an offering for sin, are burned outside the camp. 12 Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate. 13 So, let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach.
“This young donkey colt is set apart for a most holy task: The bearing of the sinless and righteous Lamb of God.”
As I pondered these verses, I came across one commentary that stated that Pilate would often send for reinforcements at Passover, due to the massive influx of people coming into Jerusalem. The Roman legion would enter the West Gate or Jaffa Gate, the gate leading to Rome. Roman legionnaires would ride on war stallions. So, it is quite possible that while Roman legionnaires were entering in on the West side of Jerusalem, our Messiah was entering into the East Gate, in peace and offering His Perfect Peace.
Two different kingdoms established by two different means entered Jerusalem during Passover.
1. One kingdom established through brute force – This kingdom is temporary
2. One Kingdom established through a sacrificial loving God – This Kingdom is Eternal
Back to our text in Mark in verse 2:
…and (Jesus) *said to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, on which no one yet has ever sat; untie it and bring it here.
If the Lord is calling you to a task, earnestly go. Move with purpose and in faith knowing that any task that God has called you to it is God who will equip and provide for you to accomplish His will.
Mark 11:3-6
3 If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this (or in the greek poy-eh'-o)?’ you say, ‘The Lord has need of it’; and immediately he will send it back here.” 4 They went away and found a colt tied at the door, outside in the street; and they *untied it. 5 Some of the bystanders were saying to them, “What are you doing (poy-eh'-o), untying the colt?” 6 They spoke to them just as Jesus had told them, and they gave them permission.
poy-eh'-o – to make ready, to prepare (Prepare the way of the Lord)
Matthew 1:24
24 And Joseph awoke from his sleep and did (poy-eh'-o) as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife,
Matthew 3:3
3 For this is the one referred to by Isaiah the prophet when he said,
“The voice of one crying in the wilderness,
‘Make ready the way of the Lord,
Make (poy-eh'-o) His paths straight!’”
Matthew 3:8
8 Therefore bear (poy-eh'-o) fruit in keeping with repentance;
"Prepare ye the way of the Lord" is a call to spiritual readiness, repentance, and making
one’s life straight and holy to receive God’s presence. Are you prepared? poy-eh'-o
Certainly, as John MacArthur pointed out , Jesus’ ministry was not done in a vacuum. Jesus was very sought after
Mark 3:7-8
7 Jesus withdrew to the sea with His disciples; and a great multitude from Galilee followed; and also from Judea, 8 and from Jerusalem, and from Idumea, and beyond the Jordan, and the vicinity of Tyre and Sidon, a great number of people heard of all that He was doing and came to Him.
So, Jesus was definitely “the topic” at the Passover as throngs of people gathered in Jerusalem for the celebration. And John MacArthur also believed that his disciples were well known as well, as their Galilean dialect certainly would have outed them instantly like it did Peter in the courtyard by the servant girl prior to the rooster crowing. So, when the bystanders questioned the disciples, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” and in return the disciples repeated verbatim what Jesus told them to say, “The Lord has need of it”, the bystanders knew exactly who the Lord, Jesus, was and relinquished the colt. And yet, it was still God’s will, perfect plan, and sovereign intervention: He was on a Mission.
And the mindset of Jesus was not of fear or inhibition, even though He knew exactly what awaited Him, as The Son of God would ride on a “chosen” colt proclaiming His kingship and fulfilling Messianic prophecies on this Sunday’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem.
Psalm 24
The King of Glory Entering Zion.
A Psalm of David.
24 The earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains,
The world, and those who dwell in it.
2 For He has founded it upon the seas
And established it upon the rivers.
3 Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord?
And who may stand in His holy place?
4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
Who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood
And has not sworn deceitfully.
5 He shall receive a blessing from the Lord
And righteousness from the God of his salvation.
6 This is the generation of those who seek Him,
Who seek Your face—even Jacob. Selah.
7 Lift up your heads, O gates,
And be lifted up, O ancient doors,
That the King of glory may come in!
8 Who is the King of glory?
The Lord strong and mighty,
The Lord mighty in battle.
9 Lift up your heads, O gates,
And lift them up, O ancient doors,
That the King of glory may come in!
10 Who is this King of glory?
The Lord of hosts,
He is the King of glory. Selah.
(Pause for reflection) For a moment and think about God incarnate, Our Loyal, full of Loving-kindness (or heset), and Long-Suffering Messiah and King committed to secure our atonement by death on the cross!
Romans 5:8-11
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 11 And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.
Back to our text Mark 11:7
7 They *brought the colt to Jesus and put their coats on it; and He sat on it.
Some interpretations were that the disciples strapped Jesus on the unbridled colt and said, “Good luck on riding this wild hardheaded beast!, as Jesus rode the colt bucking all the way into Jerusalem.
No, that’s not right! On the contrary, Jesus demonstrated His Sovereignty and rule over even the most stubborn of beasts, such as those men found in Motley County. This act was proof positive that there is nothing impossible for our God and King including regenerating the hearts of men who were once His enemies, such as the thief on the cross, Centurion Soldier at the foot of the Cross, and me:
Romans 5:9-11
9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 11 And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.
What happened after Jesus sat on the colt?
Mark 11:7-8
7 They *brought the colt to Jesus and put their coats on it; and He sat on it. 8 And many spread their coats in the road, and others spread leafy branches which they had cut from the fields.
“Such action as spreading their coats was part of the ancient practice of welcoming a new king as well as spreading their garments on the street was an act of homage reserved for high royalty suggesting that they recognized His claim to be King of the Jews, and they would be subservient to the King.” – John MacArthur study note in Mark.
This precise event happened in 2 Kings 9:12b -13 Concerning the anointing of Jehu as King by Elisha, the prophet:
12 …(Where Jehu announces what Elisha said to him) ‘Thus says the Lord, “I have anointed you king over Israel.”’” 13 Then they (Jehu’s servants) hurried and each man took his garment and placed it under him on the bare steps, and blew the trumpet, saying, “Jehu is king!”
“And the spreading of Psalm branches symbolized joy and salvation and pictured future royal tributes to Christ: (John MacArthur bible study notes) And this will occur again in the near future:
Revelation 7:9
A Multitude from the Tribulation
9 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands;
In our text “The crowd was greatly excited and filled with praise for the Messiah and King, who taught with such authority, healed the sick, feed the multitudes, and raised the dead” – John MacArthur bible study notes
Mark 11:9-10
9 Those who went in front and those who followed were shouting:
“Hosanna!
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord;
10 Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David;
Hosanna in the highest!”
Now “those who went in front and followed behind” were probably his disciples as described in:
Luke 19:39-41
39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.” 40 But Jesus answered, “I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out!”
So, you had those in front heralding ad some in back heralding and shouting, Hosanna!, which “originated in a Hebrew prayer meaning, “Save Now.” – John MacArthur
Psalm 118:19-27
Thanksgiving for the Lord’s Saving Goodness.
19 Open to me the gates of righteousness;
I shall enter through them, I shall give thanks to the Lord.
20 This is the gate of the Lord;
The righteous will enter through it.
21 I shall give thanks to You, for You have answered me,
And You have become my salvation.
22 The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief corner stone.
23 This is the Lord’s doing;
It is marvelous in our eyes.
24 This is the day which the Lord has made;
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
25 O Lord, do save, we beseech You;
O Lord, we beseech You, do send prosperity!
26 Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord;
We have blessed you from the house of the Lord.
27 The Lord is God, and He has given us light;
This Psalm is part of the Hallel (the Hebrew word for praise), comprised of Psalms 113-118, which the Jewish people sang at all the Jewish religious festivals, most notably, (wait for it!), at the Passover!
Furthermore, when they sang, “He who comes”, was a direct identification that Jesus was and is the Messiah. – John MacArthur
“This phrase or tribute, ‘Blessed is the coming kingdom of our Father David’, is recorded only by Mark, who acknowledges Jesus as bringing in the messianic kingdom promised to David’s Son. The crowd paraphrases the quote from Psalm 118:26 in anticipation that Jesus, indeed, was fulfilling prophecy by bringing in the kingdom” – John MacArthur
In the mind of the crowd, Jesus was to “save” His people by defeating Rome, physically healing everyone in the Nation, and provide food for them for all time. Yes, Jesus did and does Save those He chooses – as we have already discussed, but he Saves them from the Wrath of His Father, Spiritually. Jesus saves us from Sin and Hell and gives us Peace and Life Eternal.
Let’s recap the scene:
Jesus announces to the masses that, Yes, He is the King of the Jews and The Messiah foretold by the prophets. He mounts a colt of a donkey, reaffirming His Kingship and announces to Rome, that He comes in Peace.
On His journey, he passes through a sea of various people or “soils (rocky, shallow, good)”; people with various motives and heart conditions. Nevertheless, all pay homage to the King, just as the demons did when they encountered the Messiah. And all people will at the end of the age, All will bow their knees and pay homage to the King. Back to our text…
Jesus’ face is set to enter Jerusalem through the East Gate towards the Temple that was supposedly made for Him, yet, it was named as historians describe as Herod’s temple, who… “undertook the grand reconstruction project in order to gain favor with the Jewish populace.” https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=48fd771b327cb8c6560e160d74d6cd4cb94fb3dc22a74496112d66c6c01725c9JmltdHM9MTc3MTg5MTIwMA&ptn=3&ver=2&hsh=4&fclid=0beba400-e309-6cae-1946-b1eae28f6d48&psq=herod%27s+temple&u=a1aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ290cXVlc3Rpb25zLm9yZy9IZXJvZC10aGlyZC10ZW1wbGUuaHRtbA
And in all of the Temple’s splendor, which the disciples were dearly impressed, was this temple worthy of such a Righteous King?
Although our text today stops on this historic Sunday afternoon, our Righteous King in His Zeal pours out a severe rebuke of the temple and participates unworthiness on Monday. However, on this late Sunday afternoon, in full control of His Zeal and displaying the His Father’s longsuffering attribute, Jesus assesses the temples worth:
Mark 11:11
11 Jesus entered Jerusalem and came into the temple; and after looking around at everything, He left for Bethany with the twelve, since it was already late.
In Summary, Christ’s journey to Jerusalem highlights two major spiritual truths:
Perfect Obedience: Jesus, the sinless Son, willingly and perfectly submitted to the Father’s redemptive plan and will.
Philippians 2:8
8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Jesus’ Efficacious Atonement: In Jerusalem, Jesus offered Himself as the ultimate Passover sacrifice, putting an end to the need for repeated Temple sacrifices.
Hebrews 9:11-14
11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; 12 and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
Friends:
1. Christ’s Atonement was Supernaturally Successful (The Father was pleased to crush Him – Is 53:10)
2. Christ’s Atonement was Enormously Effective – God placed Christ at His right hand
Mark 16:19
…(Jesus) was received up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.
In fulfillment of this Obedient Act by Jesus, God crowns Him both King and High Priest!
Hebrews 9:11-12
11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; 12 and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.
3. Incomprehensibly Efficient (God's grace saves all those who are chosen and confess/repent of their sins and believe upon His Name.
Romans 3:21-26
Justification by Faith
21 But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those [b]who believe; for there is no distinction; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; 25 whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; 26 for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
4. Incomprehensibly Invaluable –
Acts 4:12
And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”